Designing for the Wild: How Blue Panda Turns Every Purchase Into Support for Conservation
For Blue Panda, the idea that we can all make a difference sits at the heart of the business.
Co-founded by husband and wife team Steve & Julie Phillips in Bournemouth, Blue Panda creates clothing and accessories inspired by the wildlife, animals and places they love. Giving back to protect the natural world is an integral part of what Blue Panda does.
“We wanted to promote a love of wildlife both through our designs and also by giving back to the animals and places we love. The idea that we can all make a difference is at the heart of Blue Panda.”
The business currently supports Battersea Dogs & Cats Home through Work for Good, alongside a wide range of other wildlife and conservation charities including Just One Ocean, Shark Guardian, Dorset Wildlife Trust, The Cornish Seal Sanctuary, One Tree Planted, David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, The National Lobster Hatchery, Turtle Foundation, Rainforest Trust UK and The Sloth Institute.
The connection between each design and its chosen charity is often deliberate. Blue Panda donates a portion of its profit from each design to a related wildlife conservation charity. Shark designs, for example, support Shark Guardian, while British wildlife designs support Dorset Wildlife Trust.
The approach means customers can choose products that reflect the animals and causes they care about, while knowing that their purchase is helping to support them.
“We donate 15% of our net profits to conservation projects and we are so thankful to our incredible customers for making this possible!”
For Steve & Julie, charitable giving is fundamental to why they created Blue Panda in the first place.
“It’s why we love what we do. We wanted to promote a love of wildlife both through our designs and also by giving back to the animals and places we love.”
That commitment extends beyond charitable giving. Blue Panda is also passionate about sustainability, sourcing organic and recycled materials wherever possible and producing its products “to order” to reduce waste. Its clothing is designed, embroidered and printed in its own studio, with orders shipped plastic free.
The business also understands that small contributions can collectively create significant change. One example is its support for Rainforest Trust UK, where donations have helped save 1,310 acres of tropical habitat, an area larger than Kew Gardens, Hyde Park and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park combined.
For Blue Panda, communicating this impact is an important part of the customer experience. The business promotes its giving through its website, social media and email newsletters, while naming the charity supported by each design on its product pages.
Customers regularly mention the charitable element in their reviews, with many enjoying the knowledge that their purchase is helping to protect their favourite animals and their habitats.
“Customers often mention the fact that the design they purchased gives back - this features a lot in our customer reviews. It feels like an intrinsic part of who we are as a business and I can’t imagine it any other way.”
Blue Panda discovered Work for Good while looking for more charities to support. For a small business supporting multiple causes, the simplicity of the service was particularly valuable.
“It can be tricky for small businesses to connect with charities because there are often minimum donation requirements, and administrative aspects to navigate, whereas with Work for Good you can donate as little or as much as you are able to. Work For Good made it easy for us to start giving back.”
The experience has also shaped Julie’s view of what sales giving can achieve more broadly.
“I always think - imagine if every business in the UK gave just a tiny amount back - what this could achieve would be unbelievable!”
Blue Panda’s approach demonstrates that there is no single way for a business to give. Giving can be connected directly to individual products, aligned with the causes that inspire a brand, and structured around what a business can realistically afford.
Most importantly, it can become part of the identity of a business rather than something added on afterwards.
For Blue Panda, every design provides an opportunity to celebrate the natural world while helping to protect it.
Key takeaway:
Blue Panda shows how a small business can make charitable giving an intrinsic part of its brand, connecting the products it creates with the wildlife and conservation causes that inspire them.
To learn more about Blue Panda, please visit their website.